Humbling Loki
by alixsedai
Summary: AU during the events of The Avengers. After arriving through the tesseract, Loki is laying low on Midgard, waiting for his moment to strike. However, he is distracted from his plan by a mortal named Anna and begins to question his eventual takeover of Earth.
1. Chapter 1

So this is my first time writing.. anything. I appreciate any and all feedback! But be gentle with me, because like I said, I just started writing. I have most of the story mapped out in my head already. Also, I'm not married to the title, so if you have any suggestions for that as well, let me know!

* * *

**LOKI**

Posing as a Midgardian had been far more simple than Loki could have hoped for. None of these idiots had even given him a second glance. Well, except the women. It was strange for him; none of the women of Asgard had ever shown him any favor. He had discovered that his form in Midgardian clothing, which he couldn't deny was more comfortable than the leather and metal he was used to, was appealing to the women here. The clothing did make him feel more vulnerable though, which was a feeling he did not enjoy. Unfortunately, discretion was necessary until he was prepared to make his move.

Much to his surprise (and dislike), some aspects of Midgardian life had become almost...enjoyable. The music was atrocious, but at the same time, for some reason that Loki could not fathom, the popular rhythms that were once unfamiliar would become stuck in his head for days at a time. Standing in line at the front desk of his hotel, he found himself nodding along to a tune he'd heard called "Hips Don't Lie," and immediately shook his head to rid himself of it. None of this had changed his mind about his takeover of Midgard; he had encountered no mortal to even make him question whether or not this planet was worth sparing. They were all pitiful, and desperately in need of someone in charge. They will all be grateful for his rule; they will all kneel...

The line ahead of him lessened, and he took a few steps forward to maintain his place. After removing that ridiculous song from his head, he was able to better survey his surroundings. Mortals walking in and out of the revolving door, talking importantly on cellular phones, as though their lives meant something. He looked ahead to the one person in front of him. The woman was talking to the hotel employee and was visibly upset, yelling about not having any towels in her room, and how she wasn't able to take a shower. His gaze moved to the employee, who was clearly near the end of her shift and was mentally exhausted. There was something...odd about the clerk, about her presence and demeanor when compared to everyone else in the room. When she looked at the mortals in the hotel, he could sense that she seemed just as irritated with them as he did. She risked a quick glance at the clock on the wall to her right while the woman continued to explain to the desk clerk how incompetent the hotel was and how she would be having words with her manager. The clerk's eyes widened with that last threat as she visibly tried to pay attention and catch up on what she had missed so far in the conversation, while attempting to calm the woman.

"Ma'am, that won't be necessary, I assure you. We are very sorry about the inconvenience; we're experiencing a bit of a towel shortage as the company that does our laundry-"

But the woman seemed to enjoy hearing herself talk and would have none of it. She annoyed Loki to no end. Couldn't she see that the employee could not solve her problem? Not that he cared how a mortal felt, of course. It was simply one more reason not to feel any negativity about the inevitable takeover. A grin flashed across his face as that thought entered his mind, and he looked at the hotel employee who was still dealing with the insufferable peasant complaining about how the hotel should be better managed than this. The employee was attractive, as far as Midgardians are concerned, yet looked extremely uncomfortable in her hotel uniform: a large, unflattering yellow polo shirt with the company's logo embroidered above the right breast. His eyes flickered up to her face, and he realized there were tears in her eyes. The conversation had escalated while his mind drifted. For some reason, he felt a strong desire to make the woman stop yelling at the clerk. It must have simply been his distaste for her undignified manner of handling problems.

Before he realized what he was doing, he had stepped out of line and approached the desk to the left of the angry woman.

"Excuse me, I believe I can help," Loki said, offering the disgruntled woman his towel. "I was just on my way to the pool, but it can wait." He had discovered the pool to be a relaxing place to focus and plan. He forced a smile as the woman accepted his offer.

"Well, thank you.. uh.. sir." She attempted to nonchalantly look him up and down and failed miserably. Midgardian womens' reactions to him were almost amusing at this point. He forced a smile as the guest walked away. His gaze returned to the hotel clerk, who was staring up at him with gratitude. That was an expression he was looking forward to seeing more of.

* * *

**ANNA**

_Okay, you can do this; just fifteen more minutes_, Anna thought as she glanced over at the clock on the wall. This was the last time she covered for a friend and worked double shifts. She had been dealing with morons since six o'clock that morning, and it was just after six o'clock at night. Sure, she had been able to take a lunch break in the middle of the day, but without enough money to go somewhere other than the hotel, she had to eat her lunch in the break room; it consisted of a shitty sandwich and french fries that couldn't regain their crunch after being in her fridge for a couple of days. Her mini fridge, that is. She had had to stay at the hotel for the last month after her last relationship ended leaving her with no place to stay. It was fair to say that life had been hard recently.

Which was why she was extra irritated that this bitch in line was complaining to her about her lack of towels. Everyone else had been completely understanding that the hotel had a towel shortage, but this woman was taking it way too personally. She had been spacing out from the conversation when she heard the world "manager." She tried to recover quickly.

"Ma'am, that won't be necessary, I assure you. We are very sorry about the inconvenience; we're experiencing a bit of a towel shortage as the company that does our laundry-"

"I don't care about your excuses, ma'am; this is an expensive hotel and adequate towels should be provided to every room!"

Unbidden, tears came to Anna's eyes. That always happened when someone yelled at her. Everyone else had been understanding. Why couldn't this woman just understand? What should she do? What-

"Excuse me, I believe I can help," interjected a tall man, offering the guest his towel. "I was just on my way to the pool, but it can wait." Between her anticipation to leave for the day and her conversation with the angry guest, she hadn't noticed him standing behind her in line. She was momentarily distracted by him; his frame, his face, his hair, everything. She gave herself a small shake and looked to the woman to see if this would placate her. Surely she noticed how attractive he was, too.

"Well, thank you.. uh.. sir." She was completely distracted from her argument with Anna as she unceremoniously checked the man out. He looked.. amused. With a quick, final glare at Anna, the woman stalked off, presumably toward her room so she could take a shower.

Anna quickly wiped her tears away and looked up at her savior.

"Thank you so, so much," Anna burst out. "We're having a shortage, and everyone else has been pretty understanding about it. Anyway, thank you, Mr..?"

"Loki," he replied. "My name is Loki." He said it almost defiantly. Well.. okay. Weird name, but whatever. His face softened. "And what is your name?"

"Uhh.. Anna. My name is Anna." Wow, his face was a little distracting. "Well thank you.. Loki. What can I do for you today?"

"You know, I've completely forgotten why I came to the desk. But since I've waited so long, I should probably come up with a question for you." He winked at her. Jesus christ, was this man flirting with her? He didn't look too much older than her, but still. _Calm down, Anna._She smiled almost involuntarily. He looked pleased.

"I know; I'm famished. Where is a good place to enjoy a meal within walking distance from this hotel?" he asked. Suggestively. Well, this was an exciting turn of events. _No, no, Anna, don't get excited about men. They all suck. Come on, now. Think about how many hearts this guy has probably broken, with that physique...  
_  
"Well, that depends on what kind of food you like. There's a great sushi place around the corner, or you could do the mexican restaurant across the street. There's also a burger joint just down-"

"A burger joint! That sounds perfect," he interjected. "Would you be willing to accompany me there when you are finished working here?"

So there it was. She was being asked out on a date.. for the first time in how long? Even though all of her instincts were reminding her of the horrible relationship she just got out of, she was curious about this guy. He looked like he had a lot of secrets. Plus, free meal.

"It would be my pleasure," she replied, slightly sarcastically, mimicking his formal tone. He definitely wasn't from around here. "But do you mind if I run up to my room and change first?"

He looked slightly confused. "Your room? You're.. staying here?"

"Umm.. yes. It's temporary." How embarrassing. "I'm actually off work now, so I'll be back down in a few minutes, if that's alright?"

"Please, take your time, Anna." He almost bowed a little bit. He was so formal. And charming. _I bet he opens a door for me._


	2. Chapter 2

This entire chapter is Loki's POV. Thanks for the feedback I've gotten so far!

* * *

Well, this was far different from what he had originally planned on doing this evening. Loki was waiting in the lobby for Anna while she changed from her work uniform so that they could go to the "burger joint" for dinner. He had planned on visiting the warehouse to check on progress with the tesseract, but he had been struck by a sudden idea while talking to Anna at the desk; he wanted to get to know one of the mortals over which he would soon rule. That was why he had asked her to accompany him to dinner. That was definitely why...

Loki's thoughts were disrupted as he saw Anna emerge from the elevator. She wore a loose, white blouse over tight jeans and shoes that made her at least three inches taller than what she was. So, she cleans up well. He could not let his thoughts go past that. That would make him no better than Thor, with his obsession over the mortal Jane Foster. _What could he see in them, honestly? _But even as he thought this, he eyed Anna with appreciation.

"Okay, ready to go?" Anna asked. She walked to Loki with a gleeful bounce in her step.

"Ready if you are," Loki replied with a smile. He wanted Anna to trust him so that he could truly discover details of the lives of the mortals he was to rule.

They set out towards the diner, and Loki was trying to come up with "small talk," which he knew to be appropriate in this situation. Anna beat him to it.

"So, where are you from?"

What a loaded question that was. Where was Loki from? Asgard? No, not really. That was a false truth he had believed most of his life. Jotunheim? Technically, Loki was "from" there, but it was not his home. Loki was from nowhere.

"Far away from here," Loki answered. He sensed that she was dropping that subject.

They arrived at the diner and sat at a booth next to the window. An older woman who looked as though she had been working at the restaurant for several years gave them menus and took their drink orders. He found himself unable to think of any questions for her, as her question for him had sent him to a pensive place; he was very distracted.

"So," Anna said, finally breaking the silence. Loki looked up from his menu to see that she looked expectant, and slightly confused.

"So?" Loki replied. He was immensely regretting his decision to bring her here. His mind had wandered from his original intentions, and he simply wanted to be alone.

"Family problems?" she asked. Loki was slightly jolted out of his mindset. How could she ask such a random and yet accurate question? He must have looked confused, because she said, "You've been sulking ever since I asked where you were from. That generally means problems at home." Loki began to study Anna a bit more closely. She was observant for a mortal. And although she didn't speak with any level of eloquence, he could hear intelligence in her words.

"Yes," he divulged. "Home is a.. sensitive subject."

"Okay, fair enough. I guess the other part to that question is why are you here? Other than not wanting to be at home, of course," she asked with a smile. _Inquisitive_, Loki thought.

"It's.. a secret. Right now," Loki answered. He wondered idly what this mortal would do if she knew the truth, if she knew that she sat in the presence of a god, one who would rule this realm soon. It would be interesting to see.

"You don't really have an answer for anything, do you?" Anna asked. As Loki was about to reply, the waitress returned to take their orders. He decided to try a cheeseburger; it seemed to be the most common food here. Anna ordered the same. Before Loki could say anything, Anna added, "You know, this meal is going to get awkward if we're still complete strangers at the end of it. There has to be something about yourself that you can actually tell me."

Loki smiled. If she only knew.. "Actually, I was going to ask about you, if that's alright. So that we're not strangers." He winked again. "Why are you staying at the hotel?" Anna instantly looked uncomfortable, and anywhere but at Loki. He realized this question must have an unpleasant answer. "It seems neither of us want to answer questions today. How long have you been employed at the hot-"

"I'm staying there because I was living with my boyfriend and we broke up," Anna interrupted, all jumbled together as though she had to force it out. She looked relieved, as though she had been wanting to say that for a while, but also surprised, as if she had not intended to say it.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Was it.. for the best?" Loki asked. He wasn't really sure how to proceed with this unfamiliar territory.

"I suppose it was," Anna replied, looking as though she was remembering something traumatic. His aim was not to ruin the girl's night. She looked up suddenly and said, "He cheated on me and then kicked me out of our place," again as a jumbled confession.

Granted, Loki didn't know much about mortal affairs, but he judged that an extremely unacceptable turn of events when one of them was in a committed relationship. Even on Asgard, this would be frowned upon. He felt sorry for the girl.

"I don't know why I'm telling you all this," she confessed, looking back to Loki, "but it feels good to finally talk about it. I guess it's easier to talk to a stranger." And this time she winked. "Also, six months," she said, "to answer your other question. I started working at the hotel right after I graduated from college. The job market right now is kind of.. terrible. I'm always looking for something better."

"What did you study while you were in college?" Loki inquired, grateful for the change in subject. He did not like feeling pity for this mortal.

"Classics. Art history. Mostly ancient Roman art and architecture," she answered. She would love Asgard, then, Loki thought. But why did that matter? He couldn't return to Asgard.. and why would she go? Loki's thoughts grew confusing and irritating; he preferred "Hips Don't Lie" to this.

"That's interesting. I know quite a bit about ancient Rome. My father.. taught me." Actually, Odin had been in that region off and on during that time. And actually.. Odin wasn't his father. Loki's thoughts always had a way of turning negative.

"Did your father study classics?" Anna asked.

Loki smiled. "Something like that." The waitress then returned with their cheeseburgers. It looked simple enough. He tasted it, and.. oh my. _It's as though it was created in a lab, formulated to be delicious_, Loki practically drooled. "I'm sorry," he apologized, realizing that Anna was watching him with a confused expression on her face. "It's just, it's very good." Loki took another bite.

"Okay," Anna proclaimed, putting down her food. "Who are you? Really? You ask me out to dinner, but won't tell me anything about yourself, and you're fascinated by a cheeseburger. I'm not trying to be rude, but this feels a little weird now."

Loki froze mid-bite. She was right. His whole plan had backfired. He had been too distracted with his own thoughts of home to be able to focus on the task at hand. He had completely deviated from his original purpose of learning about Midgardians. What was he doing? Why was he even still here?

It didn't matter. What should he do now? A thought that he had only mildly entertained earlier reappeared. He could tell her the truth. He could at least learn how mortals may react to their new master. They would resist at first, of course, but his logic was sound. They would see.

"I'm not sure you would believe me if I told you," he started, hesitating, wondering if he would really allow himself to reveal his plan to this woman. There was little risk, really. Who would believe her if she tried to stop him? His response seemed to intrigue her, as her eyes widened and she leaned forward slightly.

"Try me," she challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"Fine then," Loki accepted, gathering as much pride and intensity as he could muster. "I am Loki, as I said. Loki, the one your people refer to as the Norse god of mischief. I am an immortal from Asgard, and I have come to Earth to rule."


	3. Chapter 3

**ANNA**

Anna looked down at her plate._ Oh. Wow. There it is._ No wonder she had gotten a weird vibe from this guy. I mean he was totally gorgeous and interesting enough to eat a meal with, but Anna could tell he was hiding something. Apparently it was the fact that he was insane. She had just confessed intimate details of her life to a crazy person! Oh well, she couldn't take it back now. She looked back up at "Loki," trying to read his expression. It looked.. hesitant, like he was waiting for her reaction._ It's time to go,_ Anna thought. _At least he seems to be excited about his.. takeover._

"Well, on that note, thank you for the meal," she said, sliding out of the booth with a chuckle. It was almost too much. "Good luck taking over the world."

He looked surprised, then angry. "I knew you would have a difficult time believing me, but mockery is something else entirely." He was _offended_ that she didn't believe him! Really? His anger moved back to hesitation, then to determination. His face displayed his emotions so openly.

"Look, I'm sorry if I insulted you. You can't actually expect me to believe-"

"It may be difficult for you to wrap your mind around, as a mortal." With a gasp, she jerked her head to her left, to see Loki sitting next to her. She jerked her head back to face forward, and saw Loki there as well. Her head whipped back and forth a couple times, and then stopped on the Loki across the table from her, her face full of fear. He smiled, then flicked his wrist, and the Loki to her left faded to mist. She wasn't sure why she hadn't run screaming yet. Suddenly, she remembered that they were in a restaurant full of other people; she looked around, but no one else seemed to be paying any attention. Trying to regain her calm, her gaze traveled back to Loki. He seemed satisfied.

"Okay," Anna said. She couldn't really think of anything else to say. She still wasn't sure she believed everything that this man had told her, but she was pretty sure that what she just saw wasn't some parlor trick.

"So you believe me now?" Loki asked, his face alternating between hope and confusion, almost as if he were confused by the hope.

"I don't know," Anna answered honestly. "How did you do that?"

"Magic," Loki replied with a smile.

"Okay," she repeated. She seemed to be stuck on that as a response. "So, who are you again?"

He seemed pleased that she had begun to take him seriously. "I am Loki; many mortals know me as the God of Mischief, brother of Thor, and son of Odin." Thor. That name she had heard of, at least. _Really? Was this really happening? I mean, he definitely duplicated himself right here at the table._ And she thought back to all of the strange things he had said and done; he had seemed out of place here ever since she first saw him. _Christ. He is really some magical god, isn't he?_ Anna felt how she imagined Harry Potter felt when Hagrid first tells him he's a wizard. She had always wondered how people accepted crazy things so easily in movies and TV shows. It kind of made sense now.

"Okay," she said for a third time. He smiled. "I'm sorry; I don't really know what else to say." _Why is he even here?_ She thought back for a second.. "Wait, did you say you came here to _rule_?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes." Loki seemed pleased that Anna had caught up with him. "I intend to free Midgardians from the burden of choice." He looked almost excited about sharing his philosophy with her. "You and your people will be much happier with me as your ruler, your only point in life to kneel to me." He said this with pride. _Pride._

She couldn't help it. She burst out laughing. "Are you SERIOUS? If you're serious, that's the most insane, moronic dictator bullshit I've ever heard!"

He actually looked confused. "No, no, you don't understand-"

"No, I understand what you're saying perfectly, and even if you are a god, you're still insane if you believe that. How do you even plan on accomplishing this, Your Worship?" she asked sarcastically. Her mind continued to race between all of the things she was being forced to absorb at once. A gorgeous, magical god wanted to take over the Earth and turn humans into sheep. How was she supposed to react to that?

"I have an army," he replied calmly, "waiting for my command on another realm. I have people here working on the portal that will bring them here." Oh, she thought. If he was serious, that might be a problem. She didn't know how the world would handle some kind of space god-run army arriving through a portal.

"Well, you're wrong," she said, much more calmly than she felt. "We don't need or want to be ruled. In fact, there are parts of the world who do live that way, and the people are miserable. They're rising up and demanding freedom. Why don't you use your army to help them instead?" By the end, she was practically yelling. People in the restaurant were staring. She grabbed her purse and stormed out of the restaurant, heading back towards the hotel. Her rage was a combination of being insulted by this god who thought that humans were nothing and attempting to accept the fact that she had just shared a meal with a god in the first place.

She heard the restaurant door open and close behind her, and what she could only assume were Loki's footsteps coming after her. One thing that kept nagging at her about this whole situation was, if it was really true, why was he bothering to tell _her_?

* * *

**LOKI**

Companionship. He had determined what was happening to him. He was craving companionship in any form and had sunken to the lowest of places to get it. The Frost Giants he had to communicate with were beyond unpleasant, he couldn't speak to anyone from Asgard, and the only mortals he had regular conversations with were under his control. A disgraceful need for companionship must have been the reason why he found himself chasing this girl down the street. He was no better than Thor.

"Anna, wait." He had almost caught up to her. He assumed teleporting up and down the street would cause a scene, so he was reduced to running behind her like a moron. She had slowed down, so he came around in front of her and held up his hands. "Anna," he said, panting slightly. "Forget I said anything."

The look on her face was the same one she had worn when she thought he was insane the first time. He shrugged and nodded. "Okay, so you cannot simply forget I said those things. Fair enough. But I just..I didn't mean to make you upset."

Her eyes grew even wider. "Upset?" she yelled. "You just insulted my entire species!"

"Shhh!" Loki looked around, continuing to shush her. "Could we perhaps take this somewhere less public?" he whispered with intensity, cocking his head to the side to indicate all the people who had stopped to watch their argument.

He watched as Anna ceased her yelling and look around as though seeing the other people around them for the first time. Her lips were in a thin, tight line as she looked back to him and nodded once, then walked around him, headed in the direction of their hotel. He followed, his mind racing. He really had not wanted to make her upset. He felt such a strong urge to explain to her, to make her understand how much better everything could be, that resisting would only bring her unhappiness. This whole thing is a disaster, he thought wearily, rounding a corner after her. After they walked through the automatic doors of the hotel lobby, Anna walked straight to the elevator and pushed the "up" button. The doors opened instantly, and Loki followed her inside, unsure of where she was leading him.

The "3" button lit up as she pushed it, and her face was still a mask of frustration. He honestly was not sure what to say, so he simply stood there, trying to stare ahead of him at the inside of the elevator door. When the doors finally opened, she stalked out angrily and turned left, forcing Loki to again walk behind her as she led the way to what he now assumed would be her room here. She stopped in front of the door at the end of the hall and shoved her card key in the slot. She pushed the door open and held it there, sweeping her arm out in front of her in a sarcastic bow, waiting for him to enter. He could not hide the smirk on his face as he walked past her through the door.


End file.
